A Certain Parallel Reality
by reignstein
Summary: The Many-World interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. A theory that gave birth to the existence of a multi-verse filled with multiple dimensions containing infinite amounts of possibilities. A theory that introduced a reality where situations could have turned out differently. A theory that allowed Katsuo Ryuunosuke to be something more than just a certain scientific Accelerator.
1. Chapter 00 - Satus

**PROLOGUE  
"A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC ACCELERATOR"**

* * *

He met her on her first day of first grade. He was in his third, ignoring the voice of the principal speaking on the stage to welcome the new comers to the school. It was your typical Opening Ceremony, boring and uneventful as always.

Looking at her, Ryuu didn't think she was anything special. Just another eager first grader that would soon get used to the mundane everyday life that Academy City offered. Her short auburn hair and hazel orbs wouldn't make her standout, and her short stature would make it all the more easier to remain unnoticed and blend into the background. He would admit she had a cute face (like most kid her age), but it wasn't like there were a lot of pedophiles roaming the streets either. The worst they had were those delinquents, and even they didn't go around hurting innocent kids.

She turned her head when the principal stopped talking, one of the older honor students taking his place under the spotlight to give his or her version of a pep-talk. Ryuu couldn't have cared less about what they had to say—seeing as he wasn't all that enthusiastic about academics to begin with—but he did find it interesting when the seven-year-old girl's gaze met his. He also found it amusing when she smiled, offering him an eager wave before turning back to listen.

In his opinion, that should have been the end of it. He would occasionally spot her in the hallways, and then he would smirk in triumph when that zealousness finally left her—to be replaced by the indifference that most of them in the city wore. Who knew? She could probably even shock him a bit and join that society that everyone was talking about out of pure naïveté. Judgment, was it? Ryuu didn't quite remember. As far as he was concerned though, that girl was just something to alleviate his boredom. Something to observe until he eventually grew tired of her too.

That wasn't how it turned out exactly. Who could have possibly known that the small wave and smile she had offered him spoke levels that he couldn't quite comprehend? Levels that probably existed in her seven-year-old mind alone.

"I can't wait to tell Mama that I made a friend so quickly!" She had voiced soon after the ceremony, confusing Ryuu to the maximum extent. Friend? What friend? This little auburn haired brat couldn't possibly be talking about him, right? "Hey! Do you like Gekota? I love Gekota!" The girl continued on, walking behind him as he made his way to the school rooftop. That was another thing he was curious about. Had she been following him since the ceremony ended?

Ryuu stopped, to observe what she would do, and wasn't disappointed to see that she stopped alongside him. Her brown eyes looked up to meet his red ones, curiosity shining so obviously within their depths. Why did we stop? Being the unspoken question that lingered within her orbs. He didn't say anything though, instead choosing to continue his experiment by taking a step forward. The first grader did as he did, and stopped when he did. He sighed, confirming that, indeed, this girl was talking about and following him for some apparent reason.

"Listen, kid—("Don't call me kid! You're a kid too!" She protested, pouting slightly)—we're not friends." Ryuu said coolie, facing her and leaning his back against the lockers. Her backpack dug at her side, but it didn't really hurt and it didn't bother him that much either. "Stop following me and make friends with someone your own age. There are a lot of you, if you haven't noticed. And, besides, shouldn't you be getting tested for your ability level or something? It's first day."

The girl didn't frown or cry or anything like that, much to Ryuu's relief, but her pout did worsen, and the curiosity in her eyes gave way to mockery. He didn't appreciate a younger girl looking down on him, especially since she was a lot shorter than he was. Ryuu didn't let it show though, hiding his dislike behind obvious disinterest.

"What do you mean we're not friends? You were looking at me during the opening ceremony. Doesn't that mean that you want to be my friend?" She explained as-a-matter-of-fact-ly. "Plus, I smiled and waved, meaning that I wanted to be your friend too. You're older than me right? Are all big kids that dumb?" The girl added, adding to Ryuu's suddenly growing headache. He wasn't sure if she heard herself, but it was probably the most illogical thing he had been told in his life.

"That isn't how it works, brat." Ryuu retaliated, finding it rather childish that he was taking this kid seriously. He didn't know what else to do though, and she didn't look like she would be leaving him alone anytime soon if he didn't explain it to her bluntly. "We're not friends just because you want to be. You don't even know my name! You can't just go around following me either. People might get the wrong idea and think I like hanging around others."

"Hmph!" was the only response she gave. "My name is Misaka Mikoto and I can do whatever I want!" She added, making the older boy twice as irritated. He wanted to hit her, flick her forehead, do something just to show spite the little girl and vent his frustration. "And if I need to know your name before you can call me a friend, then fine! What's your name? And you never did answer my question about Gekota! That's more important to me than your name!"

"Well you never answered my question about finding out your ability level—and hey, I'm not telling you my name either!"

"Friends aren't supposed to yell at each other, you big meanie!"

"I just told you we aren't friends! And you've been yelling this whole time, brat!"

"I'm not yelling, I'm excited! There's a difference!"

Ryuu wanted to tear every strand of white hair out from his scalp in aggravation. What was with this seven-year-old spoilt brat? Didn't she know how to take a hint? Couldn't she understand that he didn't want her around—that he didn't want to be friends with her or anything for that matter.

Red met brown in a battle of glares, and he was mildly impressed by how she stood her ground despite being weaker, younger, and shorter. This girl, Mikoto, wasn't even sure how strong an esper he was and still continued to pursue him. She was either confident, stupid, or both. Maybe she would end up as one of those naïve kids who joined Judgment because they believed in order, peace, and proper punishment for those who committed wrong doings. It was an even better reason to keep her away from the likes of him and his powers.

"Just leave me alone, brat." He finally said, releasing a sigh and turning his head away from her. Ryuu decided to look up at the white ceiling instead, hoping that the girl would just leave him alone if he stopped paying attention to her and her insanity. "What will it take for you to get off my back? To go and bug someone else and just let me get some sleep?"

She didn't say anything for quite some time. Ryuu refused to return his gaze to her, choosing to keep his eyes on the white roof even if the light was beginning to irritate his eyes. He was tempted to check if his senses were messing with him, to see if she was still really standing in front of him. For all he knew, she could have run off already, but that was highly unlikely. The girl seemed to be too persistent to do that, and his senses had never been wrong before.

"Your name." Mikoto suddenly answered, again confusing the nine-year-old. "If you tell me your name, I'll leave you alone—for now." She hurriedly added. Ryuu had a feeling that she was fiddling with her fingers as she waited, biting her bottom lip and trying her hardest to remain patient. He also knew that she would make good on that _for now_ at the end of her sentence. Without much of a choice, Ryuu sighed. At least it would get her off of his back for the time being.

"Katsuo Ryuunosuke." He said. "Now, get out of here, already. You're disturbing my peace and quiet!"

* * *

**Hey there! This is my first To Aru Majutsu no Index story! Yoroshiku!  
Anyways, as made obvious by the character pairing, I ship the Accelerator and the Railgun.**

**So, I don't really have much to say, I just want to explain why I chose Katsuo Ryuunosuke to be Accelerator's name in my alternative universe. The reason isn't something so deep, don't worry. Just a mix of irony and description. I picked Katsuo because it mean 'Victory' and 'Hero' (Katsu and O respectively), thus the irony, and chose Ryuunosuke because of 'Ryuu' which means dragon. Accelerator is a lot like a dragon. Rare, misunderstood and deadly when tampered and messed with. Wouldn't you all agree? Plus it meets the two kanji last name and three kanji first name description that's basically the only hint we get about Accelerator's previous life.**

**So, yeah, that's about it. Chapters will be longer than the Prologue.  
****I own what I own, nothing more and nothing less.**


	2. Chapter 01 - Auctus

**CHAPTER ONE  
"A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC ACCELERATOR"**

* * *

"What the hell are you doing in my room?!" Mikoto shouted, automatically releasing a bolt of lightning that Ryuu shielded himself from easy enough. He didn't understand what the big deal was. He'd been in her old room more times than he would care to count (with most of the instances being because she dragged him there to spend time with her or train with her), what was the difference of then and now? The only change was that she had a roommate now, and was attending Tokiwadai Middle School instead of their old elementary school. And sure, _technically_, he wasn't allowed to be there.

"Ever since you became the Railgun, you've stopped respecting me." Was Ryuu's stoic response, sitting up on her bed to get a better view of her. He frowned when he noticed that her hair was down and brushing her shoulders, and his frown deepened when he saw a glaring Shirai Kuroko standing behind her. "What happened to the little girl who used to follow me around and beg me to train with her? To think she even has the audacity to be late and make me pick her up. _Brat_."

The blush of embarrassment on Mikoto's face made it obvious to Ryuu that she had forgotten about their weekly sparring session. He was tempted to sigh and put a tear on her human sized _Kill Bear_ for punishment, but the Accelerator wasn't really in the mood to deal with Anti-Skill at the moment. Plus, he was sure that Mikoto's dorm supervisor wouldn't appreciate the building turning into rubble either—not that she wasn't used to the Railgun's outbursts mind you. Having Kuroko for a roommate made the occurrence quite normal, just not to the degree that would require an advance team.

"And why should _she_ respect _you_?" It was Kuroko who spoke up this time, making Ryuu groan deep within. This girl tended to irritate him more than mere words could express. More so than any of Mikoto's friends. "Onee-sama could probably take you out any time, and she sure as hell doesn't need to meet up with _you_ every week to prove it." She continued smugly, making the Accelerator turn to his childhood friend with a questionable gaze. _What did she just say?_

"Shut-up, Kuroko." Mikoto, harshly, whispered, elbowing her roommate at the side in hopes that it would make the younger girl listen. Ryuu doubted that Kuroko would listen, and this made him slightly glad. He wanted to hear the rest of what the thirteen-year-old had to say. Especially seeing as Mikoto was getting redder with every word she spoke.

Before the teleport could continue, however, the Railgun had raised a hand to cover the other girl's mouth. Ryuu frowned at this, but settled his stoic gaze on Mikoto once again, waiting still for an explanation. He didn't miss how bothered she was that he was still sitting on her bed, but she did shut the door after pulling Kuroko in. No need to let their other dorm mates know that there was an uninvited guest in the building. The dorm supervisor would hear of it faster, and it would make this conversation ten times harder to have with her hounding the girls for information.

"I'm sorry I forgot." Mikoto voiced immediately, hand still over Kuroko's mouth. "But can we move it to tomorrow? It's almost past curfew, and I'm tired too. I spent the entire day helping out Judgment." And by _helping out_, he was sure that she meant meddling. By Kuroko's exasperated glance at her Onee-sama, the Accelerator didn't doubt that he was right.

"Can't." He answered honestly. "If you move it, you'll have to wait till next week. I've got _study group_ till Saturday."

The code word wasn't hidden to Mikoto, and she spared him a worry filled glance before sighing and releasing Kuroko's mouth from her hold. Ryuu watched as she contemplated her next words before turning to her roommate. "Can you cover for me with the dorm supervisor? I'll try to be back early, but just in case, make-up an excuse if I'm not back by light's out." The thirteen-year-old frowned at her upperclassman's words, but nodded with an affirmative nonetheless. Kuroko gave Ryuu a threatening glance that he shrugged off. As if he would ever let anything harm Mikoto.

"Do I have to change?" Was Mikoto's next question.

"Nah." Ryuu answered, finally standing from the bed and making his way towards the window. "I'm still in mine, so I don't see why you can't stay in yours. We won't be so rough today anyway." He offered Kuroko a smirk at the innuendo. She glared at him in return, and he was almost tempted to chuckle. He loved to aggravate her—_a lot_.

He turned and noticed Mikoto's eyes studying him once more, taking note that he was, indeed, still wearing the white button-down, navy blue pants, and red necktie that made up his Nagatenjouki Academy uniform. The meaning of this wasn't lost to Mikoto either, making that worry-filled glance meet his red orbs once again. He blinked back, waving a hand as if to say '_I'll tell you about it, don't worry so much'_. The worry didn't vanish, but she did nod and turn back to Kuroko.

"I'll try to be back before light's out," She repeated. "But don't wait up for me if I'm not. I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt that, Onee-sama." Kuroko answered, eyes suddenly returning to Ryuu. "It's him I don't trust."

"And you think I'd trust you? I don't even know how Misaka can put up being around you, pervert."

Kuroko would have retorted harshly, probably proclaiming, yet again, how the power of love could never be beaten down by something like his powers or his words. He had no doubt that she had prepared another speech about how Mikoto and her were meant to be together and were the true face of true love, but before she could even begin her long and loud rant, Mikoto had cut her off with a small spark from the top of her head. Ryuu, again, felt like chuckling. He probably would have released it if Mikoto actually went through with it. A fried Kuroko was always pleasurable to see, in his opinion.

"I've known Katsuo-kun longer than you, Kuroko." The Railgun defended. "And I think I have a better idea of his character to make-up my mind about trusting him or not. As jerk-ish as he may seem or actually is, he's still my best friend."

"Yeah, and you wouldn't let me forget it back in elementary school. I had half-a-mind to file a restraining order against you. Is that why you're friends with the pervert? Her nature reminds you of how you used to stalk me and wait outside my window until I let you in and allowed you to be under my tutelage and ca—" Ryuu dodged Kuroko's incoming slap, and protected himself from Mikoto's electricity. "How many times are you going to try, pervert? You're in over your head if you think you can actually land a hit on me. Plus, Misaka, I'd recommend saving the attacks for later."

"I stand by what I said as a kid." Mikoto answered, approaching him and holding back a very angered Kuroko who looked about ready to explode. Her nails were out of their holster, and she was ready to try and teleport them straight into Ryuu's body. _As if she could_, Ryuu thought to himself. "You were given the title Accelerator because of how fast you can start a fight and runaway from it. It has nothing to do with your ability."

"And you were given the title of Railgun because you refuse to stop running your mouth." He retorted flawlessly, not even missing a bit and dodging yet another of Kuroko's slaps. "Now hurry up, the longer we stay here, the higher the chances that we get caught. I have to prepare for my _study group_ tomorrow, you know?"

"Right." She answered, with Ryuu noticing that the mention of the _study group_ made the worry return—not that it really ever left. Mikoto tended to be like that. Easily distracted, but not fully enough to forget about things that bothered her. Ryuu had once told her that the habit made her a reliable ally. "I'll see you later Kuroko, or tomorrow, whatever works. Remember, don't wait up and _don't sleep on my bed_ either. I'll know if you do."

The Accelerator managed another smirk at Kuroko before taking hold of Mikoto's wrist and jumping out the window.

She patted down her grey skirt and dusted off her beige sweater-vest when her feet landed on the ground, with Ryuu scowling upon adjusting his tie so that it wouldn't strangle him. "Could you, maybe, lighten up on Kuroko? She's a really good friend when you look past the obvious perverse thoughts." Mikoto added, beginning the rather long walk that would lead to the nearest secluded restaurant that would allow them privacy. Ryuu continued to scowl as he followed her. He was right, she had understood the meaning of his apparel. He also hoped that she was leading him to a place with coffee.

"Maybe if you wear proper girl's underwear I will." He answered, again protecting himself from the light shock she had aimed at him. "Misuzu-san's been concerned about you, the least you could do is actually act lady-like for _my_ sake. I mean, I don't really care what you wear, but if your mother calls me one more time and orders me to deliver another package of those _things_ to your dorm I'm gonna force them on you myself."

"And you call Kuroko the pervert?!" Mikoto responded, loudly, cheeks blushing. Ryuu shrugged indifferently. It wasn't that hard to guess what was running through Mikoto's mind, but he also knew that she would get over it in a couple of seconds. The fourteen-year-old knew, very well, that the Accelerator couldn't care less about her undergarments. "Besides, why does she make you deliver them in the first place?! She can bring them herself!"

"She's _your _mother, not _mine_." The sixteen-year-old replied. "How the hell am _I_ supposed to know how her mind works?"

"Maybe she's just trying to set us up again. How long has she been trying? Five, six years?"

"Well maybe you can call her tonight and tell her you went on a date with me tonight. She might back off if you do. It wouldn't be a lie either. We are going to have dinner together." Mikoto blushed bright red at this, and again launched an electric charge his way. "Do you enjoy failing to hit me? Cause despite what you _say_, you've never landed a blow on me."

"One day you're going to regret being so cocky! Our rankings aren't based on strength, you know."

"Keep saying that and it might actually come true, Miss Third-Rate." And this time, he deflected a stronger bolt of lightning.

The walk continued on in silence after that. Ryuu never really struck up conversations, so that must have meant that Mikoto was lost in her own thoughts as well. Deciding he would just ask her later on, he kept to his own thoughts as well, wondering slightly when he and Mikoto had gotten close enough for her to be able to decode the meaning of his mannerisms and actions. It wasn't unwelcomed, but he did hate having her worried. It tended to get him worried, and made his performance suffer. After all, to Kuroko and other it may not be obvious, but she was still his best friend too.

Both of them had created a specific set of code words that he expected her to easily understand (seeing as it was her idea in the first place). _Study group_ meant investigate or mission, while _over nigh study session_ meant that the mission was bad and he would probably be in a lot of danger. It was the small things—like how wearing his uniform meant he wanted to talk and not spar—she picked up on that made Ryuu wonder if they had grown _too_ close for his comfort.

_"It's not your choice if I want to be friends with you, it's mine!"_ A nine-year-old Mikoto had shouted at him once. Her high pitched voice and angered expression somehow making her look cute rather than terrifying. Accelerator actually had a hard time suppressing pinching her cheek at that point in time. He still found himself feeling that sometimes. His favorite Mikoto expression was probably her angered one. _"And if I think that you won't hurt me, then the only thing you should be telling me is 'thank you'! Because at least, now, you won't be so alone anymore!"_

Turning the next corner that lead to an alleyway, the middle-schooler zapped the delinquents that had tried to stand before they even could. Ryuu didn't pay much mind to his surroundings as he followed her, making it out of the alley soon after to be greeted by the sight of a small, diner-like, place. From the window he could see the coffee maker running and quickly took hold of Mikoto's wrist to drag her over. He really needed a mug of the warm liquid, and he needed it now.

"Have you tried going a day without caffeine?" Mikoto asked curiously. "Is it like detox for you?"

"Haven't you already tried that experiment?" Ryuu responded, with Mikoto shivering at the memory. In his opinion, it served the Railgun right for depriving him of it. "You ended up having to reverse the nearest windmill to stop me from starting a tornado, if you don't remember it that well." Mikoto cringed again, sending a short glare in the boy's direction.

He, on the other hand, just pushed the door to the diner open and sat them both down on the corner booth. He had already called out for a mug of coffee to the waitress before she could even reach their table.

Even after the mug of black coffee had been served, the both of them remained silent. Ryuu didn't miss the glances Mikoto threw at him, and when they had ordered what it was they wanted to eat, he decided that if she wasn't going to break the tension, then he would. Might as well discuss the elephant in the room before bringing up more important matters. He thought that it would be a good icebreaker too, especially since it wouldn't be suggested to just jump to the main course before actually trying the appetizer wouldn't it?

"What were you thinking about on the way over?" Accelerator began. "You were awfully quiet."

"What's wrong with being quite? You didn't say much either." She defensively spoke out.

"Yes, well, I'm _always_ quiet, as you like to point out." He rebutted. "_You_, on the other hand, aren't."

"I am too! Just not as much as you!" He snorted at her words, but said nothing to negate her. It was half-true. Mikoto did tend to keep her mouth shut—but only in problems that she didn't want to drag other people into, problems that she deemed were hers to deal with alone. Normally, he respected her decisions about such problems, but prodding would get her to open up about him, so he thought popping the metaphorical 'personal-issues-bubble' would have to be done.

"Just spit it out." Ryuu demanded stoically. "I'll pay you back, so it's not like it won't benefit you at this point."

"What? You're just gonna offer me information like that—" She snapped her fingers in emphasis. "—without even giving conditions? You're just gonna let me ask what I want in exchange for me telling you what's _bugging _me? What the heck happened the loophole expert of an idiot I had for a friend? Is he finally, oh no, _softening_ up to me?"

He remained stoic and disinterested as ever, allowing her to get her teasing over with. He had paid the price for a normal enough night with her, so he might as well deal with the consequences. It was better than thinking for the entirety of tomorrow what it was that was running through her mind—or worse, that she was just staring out her classroom window and worrying about whether or not he was safe or not. At least, this way, they both get some sense of relief.

"Are you gonna spit it out or what?" Accelerator questioned. "Cause I can still retract my offer, you know."

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this one, Katsuo Ryuunosuke!" She retorted. "I'm taking advantage of this!"

"Out with it then, brat!" The playful smile vanished from her face. Mikoto bowed her head and began fiddling with her fingers, a sign that she was nervous and unsure about certain things. "It can't be that serious if your still having dinner with me instead of dealing with it, so don't worry about wording it right and just say what comes to mind." Ryuu could have sworn that she saw a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth when he released those words.

"It's just a rumor that Saten-san was talking about earlier." The Railgun finally released, with Ryuu taking a couple of seconds to put a face with the name. Long black hair, eccentric obsession with urban legends, after nodding for her to continue, Mikoto did. "It's just, remember when I just turned into a level three? There was that hospital that wanted my DNA map to find a cure for muscle dystrophy?" That was when Ryuu's eyes turned to slits.

"I told you not to do it. You're not some regenerating life form that can fix tissues or whatnot. Don't tell me you actually gave it to them, Misaka Mikoto!" Immediately, Mikoto began shaking her head and waving her arms around. It was almost comedic, but Accelerator couldn't help but feel a tad bit relieved. The thought that she had done something behind his back scared him, especially after he had adamantly expressed his disbelief in the idea.

"It's nothing like that!" The Railgun almost shouted. "I didn't do anything like that, I swear! It's just, there's this rumor spreading around about one of the level fives being cloned, and I just couldn't help but remember that. It sounds preposterous anyway. What could they possibly gain from cloning one of us." She failed miserably at laughing it off and trying to make it seem like a silly thing. Ryuu could tell that the rumor was really bothering her on some level.

"Do you think the rumor has something to do with them asking for your DNA map back then?" He tired to sound nonchalant, and succeeded, but he couldn't help but admit that the idea bothered him as well. But ask Mikoto had said, what _would_ Academy City gain from cloning any of them? He took a sip of his coffee and called for a refill when he realized it was almost finished. He looked at Mikoto and waited for her to respond, but her eyes were pretty much confirming it all.

"I'm not sure, but I didn't give it to them anyway, so there's pretty much no point in me worrying about it, right?" Accelerator hmm-ed at her words, neither acknowledging nor answering them. He didn't quite know what to think yet.

Soon enough, their food, along with Ryuu's coffee refill, was served to them. Both teenagers tucked in soon enough, with the high schooler glancing at Mikoto as if to say _'Well, what do you want to know?'_ every now and then. She would return his glances with hand signals to wait, but he kept on glancing at her anyway. When he noticed that he had finally gotten on her last nerve, he deflected (how many was it already) yet another charge of electricity that had been headed his way.

"Gosh! I just want to enjoy my dinner at least. Lately, I feel like we're always meeting up just to talk about bad stuff." She explained. "At least, I thought, I might as well have this happy memory just in case I ask and you tell me—oh, I don't know—that there is no 'see you later' or 'coming back' from this _study group_. Is that _too_ much to ask? Sheesh!"

"I'm not weak enough to ever go on a mission and not come back, Misaka." Was the only thing he said. Ryuu didn't understand why that angered her, but by the strength of the next bolt he blocked, he would say she was seriously mad.

"That's not the point! Whether you live or die isn't the point, it's whether you're _coming back_." He was as confused as a while ago, and Mikoto seemed perturbed as she continued her explanation. "I'm not sure if you notice this or what, but you're not exactly like _me_. There's nothing that _grounds_ you here. Your parents aren't exactly present in your life, and even Yomikawa-san and Yoshikawa-san don't seem _important_ enough to be an actual reason. Heck _I'm_ your only friend, right? You could up and leave and only three people would notice! You don't think that's the least bit scary to m—us?"

Red eyes, for the first time, were as wide as saucers. What she said had _never_ crossed his mind at all. He'd never thought of not coming back to them. He'd never even thought of abandoning his life and just leave Academy City to be done with it. To think that Mikoto had thought so deeply into things bothered him.

"Why would you even think that I'd consider doing that?" Ryuu pushed his plate away, finding that his appetite had vanished, and focused his attention on his cup of coffee. "The fact that I tell you I'm leaving should be proof enough."

"Not really. I basically take these meet ups as a warning to look for a sparring partner. I've even found a back-up idiot." Her words stung a little, Accelerator had to admit, but his face didn't betray his feelings. Only the slight tightening of his fingers around the mug did, but it went unnoticed by Mikoto. She wasn't even done speaking. "Plus, despite being my best friend, you're still pretty distant—hey, let me finish! I know that you're doing it to protect me, but I've told you tons of times that I trust you not to hurt me, alright? I'm just sick and tired of you considering that reason _valid_. It's not, it never was. I can take care of myself and don't need _you_ to protect me."

The mug broke. The shattered pieces scattering along the table with the brown substance spilling over the table and staining Ryuu's shirt. His hands were slightly burned, but nothing serious seeing as it wasn't that hot anymore. He dared glance at Mikoto to find her own brown eyes wide, a hand over mouth as if she couldn't believe what she had said. It pretty much confirmed that she had just said what she felt. He couldn't really hold it against her—but, _fuck_, did her words _hurt_.

"Not having a loophole was a stupid idea." Accelerator stated calmly, taking a couple of napkins from the holder to mop up the liquid on the table. "Actually, I shouldn't have pushed this. I should've just left when you told me you were tired."

"Wait, no, Katsuo, you aren't escaping this discussion!" It seemed her disbelief had run its course, and now Mikoto was determined to finish the conversation she had started. "We _are_ going to talk about this!" She continued, but Ryuu couldn't have cared less. His chest was tightening and he had no idea why, and his eyes were stinging and he had no clue what to do about it. The only thing he was probably sure of was that he needed to get out of there and away from her.

"Maybe when I get back." He answered plainly, taking out his wallet and leaving the amount needed. He stood after that, stopping only to tell her one thing. "And I _will_ come back."

The indifference in his voice shocked him, but the disbelief in Mikoto's face did nothing to deter his decision in leaving. It turned out he was wrong. Popping the metaphorical 'personal-issue-bubble' had been a horrible thing to do. He had gotten more than he had ever bargained for, and he could have just as well lost his best friend because of it.

* * *

**Wow, well wasn't that an exciting chapter everyone?  
****I mean, a lot happened and it's just CHAPTER ONE! Don't worry, there's a reason for that! I'm just not gonna tell you yet.  
****Plus, in the end, Mikoto didn't even find out what Accel's _Study Group_ was all about. You think she'll regret that?**

**Moving on, yes, I've decided to post this chapter along with the prologue because I'm not very consistent with updates. I try my best, but I'm a very busy person and will probably be busier the moment JUNE comes around. I'll try to post as much as I can by that time. Hopefully you end up waiting patiently though. I'm pretty in love with this story at the moment, and with this pairing as well. I shamelessly admit that.**

**NEXT, and this is very important, I do appreciate reviews, so don't be shy to leave your ideas or guesses or opinions.  
So, that's about it for now. Nothing that important to say, aside from no FLAMES please. Let's respect each other, yeah?**

**BTW! Thanks already for those who have reviewed! I appreciate it so much!**

**I own what I own, nothing more and nothing less.  
I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors. Point them out and I'll edit when I can.**


	3. Chapter 02 - Vocatus

**CHAPTER TWO  
"A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC ACCELERATOR"**

* * *

Beep. Message received at 9:22PM, 16th of October.

_"Hey! How dare you leave! I told you that we were gonna talk about it! You didn't even let me explain and stormed out of there! Couldn't you have at least let me talk or something?! You're always like this! For once, just let me do my job as a friend and help god damn it! You'd better call me back the moment you get this, asshole! And you better do it before you leave! If you don't, there's not a rock in the world you can hide under!" _

Beep. Message received at 10:34PM, 16th of October.

_"Katsuo, are you ignoring me? Cause you don't have to right to be! You walked out on _me_, remember? You didn't even let me explain, not that I would need to explain anything—to be honest. You're the one who should probably explain why you left in the first place! You can't deny what I said is true, and you can't deny that you're not being distant either—heck, this avoiding thing is proof enough that you can stand being away from people that she bee deemed important!" _

Beep. Message received at 12:02AM, 17th of October.

_"Please call me back before you leave. I know that I probably shouldn't have said what I said the way I said it, but it wasn't like you were helping either. For once would you just, I don't know, stop being indifferent and actually talk to me about personal stuff? Not missions, I mean, you know, feelings and all of that. I'm not really a fan of doing those either, but I'm probably the only person you've got who's willing to listen—I know you enough to know you won't go to Yoshikawa-san."_

Beep. Message received at 01:45AM, 17th of October.

_"Okay, I'm SORRY. Not that I said it, but that I suspected that you would leave in the first place. I understand that I'm being hypocritical about this friend things—since a good friend would never doubt that their best friend would be there for them—but I'm allowed to feel scared okay? Not just that you decide to not come back, but about the other not coming back reason too. I know that I've probably hurt what little feelings you actually have, but, just, text me, or something, before you leave. Okay?"_

Beep. Message received at 04:16AM, 17th of October.

_"You still haven't texted or called. Are you that mad at me? I know there is no way in hell you are asleep. What do you want me to say to you? What do I _have_ to say to you? That I didn't mean it? Well that would be a lie. That I was wrong? Well you'd have to explain to me why first. This is why we need to TALK, something that we should have done last night. Are you just being stubborn again? Please, just help me understand here. I want to get some sleep!"_

Beep. Message received at 05:00AM, 17th of October.

_"Have a good trip bastard. I don't care if you respond anymore, but you had better make true to your word that you're coming back and that we're talking once that happens. You said it was until Saturday right? Expect me knocking at the apartment first thing Sunday Morning then. No more of those hospital calls at three in the morning. I don't think Yomikawa-san and Yoshikawa-san can survive another one of those. I don't think I can either—I mean, I wouldn't like it! So you better stay safe!"_

Beep. No more remaining messages.

Ryuu sighed as her voice finally faded away, the morning sunrise doing nothing to alleviate his bad mood. Her messages made it obvious—even to plain idiot—that she was worrying about him, and like the domino effect that came with it, he was not worried about her. Should he call her, despite not understanding what he was feeling, and risk making her worry all the more just to calm her down? Or should he sort it out and talk to her when he got back, like how he had originally planned to approach the situation. Running a hand through his already messy white hair didn't soothe his frustrations.

"It's during times like these that I realize you're still a teenager after all." The voice didn't surprise him, not really, but he did turn around and settle his expressionless gaze on Kikyou nonetheless. "I never thought I'd actually see the day you'd have girl problems, but I can't say I'm disappointed I was wrong. Looks like your hormone _deficiency _doesn't prevent you from getting crushes and feeling attraction after all." He wasn't amused by her jab, but waited for her to get to the point.

She approached him slowly, cautious with each step, and Accelerator raised his brow in question to her actions. Kikyou was acting antsy, and it was odd seeing as she had never really done so before. She had a phone clasped in her hand, the house landline, and bit her lip in contemplation before handing it over to him. Again, Ryuu raised his brow. _What's this?_

"Call her." Kikyou said plainly, extending the wireless towards him. "I'm not saying that you should talk about whatever it was you fought about yesterday—("It wasn't a fight." Ryuu commented off handedly)—but you owe it to her to not make her worry. It's not like you know a lot about what goes on when you're off doing Academy City's bidding." The words sent a pang of that tightness to his chest again. _Apparently_, there was a lot he didn't know about when it came to people around him. Even Kikyou had kept her opinions to herself. This made the white haired boy scowl.

"It's not like you people bend over backwards to explain it to me either." Was the only retort he could come up with. "You'd think that, by now, you'd get used to having to explain complicated things like that to me. But who cares anyway? This is exactly what I wanted. Maybe she'll finally stay away from me now." Kikyou frowned, and Ryuu wasn't sure why he knew this, but despite his indifferent appearance, her eyes told him that she knew what he had said was a lie.

Red eyes looked away then, instead focusing on the sun that was slowly rising outside his window. He felt Kikyou move closer, hand still outstretched with the phone still being offered in his direction. Ryuu didn't turn back though, deciding to remain stubborn. It wasn't until Kikyou was kneeling beside him that he sighed and gave up. She wasn't going away anytime soon, so he might as well make her finish whatever it was she wanted to say before getting the hell out of there.

"If Mikoto-chan hadn't become your friend, would you have dropped out of school?" _What the hell was this woman getting at?_ Was the question that ran through Accelerator's mind. "If you hadn't met Mikoto-chan, would you still be in school now? Would you still be in Academy City? Would you still be _you_? Why not think about those things while you're away this time. Think about how things would have turned out if you hadn't met her, and then think about what her life would be if she hadn't met you. You'll realize a couple of things going down that train of thought."

"If you're trying to say something like how I'm _special_ to her or something, that isn't quite true." Despite trying hard, that bitter taste refused to leave his mouth, thus the bitter tone in his voice was made rather evident. "She's found some idiot to take my place as her sparring partner already—not like I care." Kikyou outright laughed at him then.

"It's true that you _are_ something special to her, she's the one who willingly calls you her best friend after all, but that's not what I meant." She then said. "At least I'm a bit comforted to know that you have put some thought into this. Keep doing that, maybe you'll stop being your emotionally retarded self and get over your tsundere character. You're not some shojou manga character that's allowed to just not develop and expect everyone to just love you no matter what."

"Tsu—Tsundere?!" Ryuu found himself exclaiming.

"Too late to deny that you are." Kikyou teased, extending a finger to poke him lightly on the side. He scowled at her before swatting her hand away. This seemed to egg her all the more. "I know that you're a softy when it comes to that girl, and you're just pretending to be all tough and stoic because you're emotional quotient is too low for your own good."

"Where do you come up with these ideas?!"

"It's not an _idea_." The researcher responded. "It's a _fact_."

The Accelerator was going to deny the claim. He was going to negate it and trample on the theory with every ounce of pride he could muster, but it was deemed useless when the wireless landed on his lap. Kikyou was halfway to the door by the time the shock of her words had died down, and she even had the audacity to _smirk_ at him from underneath the archway of his bedroom door. "Call her." The woman said before walking out, leaving Ryuu in the darkness like she'd found him.

He growled. He was going to get back at that stubborn lady one of these days. Right now, however, he stared at the phone and thought about his next move. His mind contemplated the pros and cons, and his red eyes darted to the clock on top of his bedside table to see that he would have to leave soon.

His gut instinct was telling him to do one thing, while his common sense was telling him to do another. Risking whatever was left of his dignity, courage, and probably self-respect as well, Ryuu punched in the familiar number and put the phone to his ears. _Too late to back out now_, he silently thought to himself, releasing a sigh as he listened to the familiar buzzing.

The phone rang close to seven times before someone finally picked up the blasted thing from the other end.

"Hello? To whom might we forward your call?" Came the voice of a random lady, a housekeeper of the dorm no doubt. Accelerator gave her the necessary information (name, room number, who he wanted to talk to, business, and the like), before he heard the familiar hold-music that signified his call was being forwarded. By the time someone else had picked up the phone, Katsuo Ryuunosuke was just about ready to drop the call and give up on this lapse of judgment.

_"YOU!"_ Came the angered voice of Shirai Kuroko, forcefully making Ryuu put the phone away from his ears. Boy could that girl be _extremely_ loud. _"How dare you leave Onee-sama alone last night! What did you do to her?! She didn't get a wink of sleep at all! You albino freak, I'm gonna teleport a needle through your ice heart the next time you even try to cross the dormitory gate!"_ Kuroko added, with Ryuu wondering if this was the signal to just give up on this communication thing.

"Put Misaka on the phone, pervert." He decided to respond, voice expressionless as ever. This seemed to anger the teleport further, seeing as her screams got louder and, in turn, causing the phone to be farther away from Accelerator's ears. "I said put the Railgun on the phone. I'm not in the mood to listen to you _whine_ about things that will never even happen."

_"Kuroko?"_ Came a tired sounding voice from the receiver. _"Why are you so loud? With whom are you talking to?"_

_"This is no one of importance Onee-sama! Just trash that shouldn't be anywhere near you!"_

That headache and migraine were beginning to return, the pounding in his head being an obvious sign that Shirai Kuroko needed to shut up within the next few seconds lest she wanted something to happen to her.

He off-handedly wondered how mad Mikoto would be if she tried that reverse-blood flow thing on her friend. He wasn't really that big a fan of the mess and the clean up, but it would be worth it to watch the pervert go _boom_. Shaking the sadistic thought, quickly, out of his mind, Ryuu mustered up all the tolerance he had left and shouted into the wireless.

"Misaka Mikoto, get your fucking roommate off the phone and answer!"

_"Katsuo? Katsuo! KUROKO! Why didn't you wake me up?!"_

He was tempted to whistle as he heard loud _crashes_ and _zaps_ from the other end of the line, but Ryuu kept in mind that he and Mikoto weren't exactly in the _best _of terms either. Heck, he was trying to remember what he had wanted to say to her in the first place? That she shouldn't be worried? That he would be coming back? Why in god's name did he listen to Kikyou and call her? He didn't even know what the hell he was going to tell her!

_"Katsuo! Katsuo! Are you still there?! Hey, speak up!"_ Mikoto's breathing was labored (probably from trying to fight off the eager pervert), but the urgency in her voice was unmistakable. _"Bastard! I said speak up! I can hear you breathing!"_

"You should probably get some sleep. It's what? Quarter past five? Your last message was just forty-five minutes ago."

_"Yeah, right, like I would actually fall back to sleep knowing you're going on a _study group_. Hasn't Kikyou ever told you what goes on around here when you go on one of those? This is why we need to talk when you get back."_

"Since when are _you_ so eager to talk about your feelings?"

_"Ever since I realized that out of the two of us, I'm probably more emotionally capable of broaching the topic."_

"Yes, your table-spoon sized heart is _much_ bigger compared to the teaspoon that is mine."

_"Are you sick? Since when did you prefer tea over coffee?"_

Ryuu would have laughed, had he not been conscious enough to wonder why this conversation was going so smoothly. He wasn't stupid, he could sense the heavy tension through the phone, but despite saying she wanted to talk about feelings, it seemed even Mikoto didn't know how to bring it up without sending him running for the hills. Or, at least, that was what he thought the reason was behind her obvious neglect of the elephant in the room.

She was probably waiting for him to bring it up, some sort of signal that would give her clearance to run her mouth about whatever it was she was thinking. Accelerator wasn't ready to give it yet, so he might as well do the next best thing—again, the next best thing in his mind. Mikoto's needs would just have to wait till he sorted himself out. Somehow, he felt guilty about that. He just didn't know how to deal with it at the moment.

"I—I'll talk to you when I get back." He finally began. "We'll meet up at the park and we'll talk this out. For once, I'll let you get your way—and _no_, you are not allowed to make me repeat what I just said."

Mikoto chuckled before responding. _"Till Sunday then. Keep yourself in one piece till you get back."_

* * *

_"You're the Accelerator!" A loud voice called, disturbing Ryuu from his much wanted nap atop the elementary school rooftop. "I knew I'd heard your name before! You're the number one level five esper in Academy City!" He knew that familiar voice, and groaned upon the realization that _for now_ had already ended. Misaka Mikoto was back to pester him—the silence was much appreciated while it lasted, and Ryuu would miss it for the long time that it would stay far out of his reach._

_Opening his eyes, he found the seven-year-old standing over him, auburn locks spilling over her shoulders and wide eyes directed at him with such ferocity. _For long_ was fun, but Ryuu knew that upon giving her his name, she would find out soon enough. He wasn't being cocky either. Mikoto had just given him that nosy vibe, assurance that upon getting his name, she would be knee deep in research—he had also heard his classmates talking about her asking questions about him too._

_"I didn't think it was all that important to tell you that." He answered, turning to the side in hopes of falling asleep once more. "Plus, what would knowing who I was do? It doesn't change the fact that we're not friends. Besides, why do you care about knowing anyway? It isn't all that it's cracked about to be—being a level five." A hard kick collided with his back._

_"What the hell?!" Accelerator exclaimed, sitting up and cupping the, now, aching small of his back. "Do you _want_ to die?!"_

_"As if you would kill me!" Mikoto retorted. "And it's important because you're not supposed to keep those things from friends!"_

_"How many times do I have to say that we _aren't_ friends before it sinks into your peanut sized brain?!"_

_"As many times as it takes to make your raisin sized one to admit that we are!" She maturely stuck her tongue out after that._

_"Wouldn't that be counterproductive—no! Wait! RAISIN sized brain?! Is that supposed to be some stupid jab at me? Hey, brat, if you know who I am then I'm pretty fuc—freaking sure that you know what my esper ability is! Now beat it before I decide to throw you off of this building. You're disturbing my peace and quiet…_again_." _

_Ryuu didn't expect her to do as she was told, willingly at least. He assumed that she would've given up. He thought that Mikoto release some sort of yell in frustration before stomping back to the door and slamming it so hard that it would break off of its hinges. It was an exaggeration, but that would have been more welcomed that what she actually did. Who did this seven-year-old think she was? Sitting down beside him, crossing her arms, and pouting like there was no tomorrow?! She even had the audacity to continue kicking his back. Not as hard as the first, sure, but equally as unwanted and annoying._

_"Stop that!"_

_"I don't want to!"_

_"Retard, I will throw you off this rooftop!"_

_"Do it, I dare you. I'll shock you before you even try!"_

_"You really are an idiot if you think you can do that."_

_"Stop calling me mean names you…you…you red-eyed snowman!"_

_"Is that supposed to be an insult or a joke?"_

_"ARGH!"_

_The kid looked close to tearing her hair out at this point. Accelerator took great pride in it, despite feeling low for stooping down to the level of a measly first grader—a very annoying, overbearing, loud, and nosy first grader at that. Kikyou would probably have his head if she found out, but, then again, who was gonna tell her? There was a reason why he liked hanging out on the rooftop, and it wasn't because millions of student witnesses decided to make it a mingling center._

_Closing his eyes, he continued to try drifting back to sleep, not really paying attention to the small body that was seated beside his own relaxed one. The radiating heat told him that she hadn't moved an inch, but she wasn't his _anything_ really. Ryuu wasn't obligated to make her comfortable and happy. He wasn't even obligated to acknowledge her existence. Speaking to her (despite it being a bickering match reminiscent of old couples) was enough for his good deed of the day._

_"It's not like I'm _that_ desperate to be your friend, you know!" The nine-year-old scoffed. Yeah, sure, like _that_ was believable. Last time he checked, he wasn't the one invading someone else's personal space. "You just looked so alone in the opening ceremony and I felt sorry for you. You should be happy someone's even willing to get to know you, but I guess I can see why people decide to just leave you alone. You're outright mean."_

_"Last time I checked this was an elementary school, not Cal-State-the-Obvious."_

_"And last time I checked, the older kid was the more mature one."_

_"I haven't strangled you yet. I'm plenty mature."_

_"Whatever gets you through the day, red-eyed snowman."_

_"Again, is that supposed to be in an insult me or what?"_

_That frustrated sound he was waiting for finally escaped her lips, and a smirk spread across his own. Maybe, now, she would barge down those stairs and deem him a lost cause, like the others that had falsely tried to earn his trust. It was a rather simple system, the one that Ryuu followed. Everyone was an enemy until proven otherwise—little kids with bright smiles, innocent words, and clueless attitudes were not exempted from that. He was nine, and only a fool would trust him._

_His eyelids were beginning to get heavy. The darkness was slowly beginning to envelope him, the soft call of sleep finally making its way towards his ears. Accelerator was just about to embrace his fate when another kick landed on his abused back. He sat up because of this, glaring daggers at the first grader. He was _this_ close to just getting rid of her._

_"How about we make a deal?" She asked innocently enough._

_"What kind of deal? I hear the words _for now_ anywhere in your explanation and I toss you off to roof."_

_Mikoto returned his crimson stare, crossed her arms, but did not back down underneath his suppressing aura. Whether she just didn't sense it or plain ignoring it, Ryuu wasn't quite sure. "If you help me level up from level one, I'll leave you alone unless you say otherwise. I want to reach level five, and who else to help me other than the best one?"_

_Again, Ryuu scoffed. "I'm not a tutor-for-hire brat—("I said stop calling me mean names, red-eyed snowman!")—and what would helping you do anyway? It's rare for levels to rise, let alone from level _one_. Might as well just give up now and spare me the drama and water works. You can join that stupid judgment organization if you really want to be useful to society."_

_"Then you're just going to have to deal with me—Every. Single. Day. Until you say yes."_

_"Manipulative seven-year-old twerp." The nine-year-old muttered, mulling the offer over in his mind. He really didn't want to do it, but he _really_ wanted to have his peace and quiet atop the school rooftop back. Wasn't there anything else she could ask for? Like money? Money was easier to give her than his precious lazing-around time. "What if you never improve, huh? You'd just be wasting both our times then." Ryuu ended up inquiring._

_"One lesson." Mikoto compromised. "If you deem me 'unsalvageable' after one lesson, I'll give up on it and on getting you to teach me. Do we have an agreement?" _

_Accelerator stared at the small, outstretched, hand before relenting with an irritated groan and taking it. "Be ready for hell, brat."_

* * *

**And thus concludes the second chapter of this story!  
****What do you think? What do you think? **

**The pace is probably gonna pick up within the next couple of chapters, so don't mind the slowness of this for now. I also, would like to add, that I particularly enjoyed writing that flashback scene. Writing them as kids is easier, cause despite everything else, I imagine Accel to be more expressive (in his own way) as a younger person. You'll understand that despite how I changed the story and tweaked it a bit (which you will find out more about in the future), I'm still keeping Accel distant. Cause I can't imagine him optimistic in any reality. A bit mean?**

**Anyways, moving on, I would just like to ask that you bare with my detail heavy chapters. I know that sometimes it's a drag to read, but, I don't know, I'm a person who enjoys details and enjoys writing about them too. DO tell me when it begins to hinder plot progression though, because I get a bit carried away sometimes with the detailing. Sorry about that in advance.**

**Thanks so much for the favourites, follows, and reviews! I appreciate them a lot!  
Now, just a bit of a warning, but I probably won't have the next chapter up within the next couple of days. I'll try my best though.  
Reality calls, and I must answer despite how much I want it to screw itself.**

**I own what I own, nothing more and nothing less.  
I apologize in advance for any grammatical or spelling error. Point them out and I'll edit as soon as I can.  
**


	4. Chapter 03 - Metus

**CHAPTER THREE  
"A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC ACCELERATOR"**

* * *

It was on the eve of Friday that same week when Accelerator decided to strike. He had taken a day to gather information, though hurriedly realizing that he wouldn't be able to properly process it.

It seemed that whoever the informant was had failed to mention that the troubling-situation was to be held _that night_ rather than within the span of time Ryuu had been given. What if he had gone a day late? This would have all been for naught! This pissed off the sixteen-year-old immensely, setting a bad tone and mood in his mind—not that it was a bad thing. It just guaranteed a higher scale of chaos.

Quickly manipulating the heat around him, Ryuu melted an oval big enough to let him through on the pavement of the alley. Below was an abandoned sewage tunnel that reeked of putrid scents that made Ryuu feel like throwing up. It didn't help that he was a nose-breather.

Releasing an irritated growl, he jumped down and landed in the murky waters. Thank the heavens that his pants and shoes were safe—the water around him was changing directions before making contact.

He contemplated using a flashlight to look around, but shook it off soon after. It could alert the enemy of his approach. That was more of a danger than walking around blind in who-knows-what infested waters.

Looking from left to right, with only the limited light from the surface to help him, Accelerator decided to head in the direction of the water flow itself. It was more likely to lead to the central area that would branch out into different locations. Finding the enemy from there would be easier through echoes. If they were quieter than he expected, Ryuu would deal with it then.

Ryuu walked a steady, yet fast, pace. Abandoned or not, the sewer water still flowed towards the central treatment area. He made a silent promise to himself about never drinking tap water again before quickening his steps. The crash and flow of the water was beginning to get louder, a sure sign that he was getting nearer.

A turn to the right here, a quick straight sprint there, and Accelerator soon found himself staring at the giant pipe that lead to the treatment facility. The water came from six main directions, and probably branched out further into tunnels depending, which one was chosen. The enemy thought this through, but not enough to make their hideout raid-proof. Accelerator-proof, rather, for no _normal_ human (or esper) would really have been able to do what he had planned.

Moving to the center where the water accumulated before being sucked in by that giant treatment pipe, Ryuu reversed its flow. Closing his eyes to heighten his sense of sound, he waited for some sort of telltale—anything that would give away the location of that blasted enemy headquarters. The sixteen-year-old didn't have to wait all that long. He was a bit disappointed how easy it was, if he were to be completely honest.

"What's up with the water?" Faintly came a soft voice—a girl's voice. "Was it always going in this direction?"

"Who cares?" Answered another one. Louder this time, lower too. A boy—no, a man? "Heck, if that blasted smell would disappear with it, I don't care if the water doesn't come back at all!" It got louder again. Definitely a hotheaded alpha male.

"Shouldn't we be worried or something? Didn't the others say something about this type of thing?"

"Just listen to me and don't worry about. If someone comes, we'll get rid of 'em easily enough."

Accelerator found himself smirking. He wouldn't mind putting an 'all high and mighty' idiot in his place. The fact that he hadn't even listened to a brief that, probably, regarded Ryuu was proof enough of his lack of leadership potential—but the fact that they _did_ brief them was a bit worrying.

Were the enemies beginning to notice a pattern? Did they know information that he didn't? Perhaps he could beat that out of the arrogant moron too.

Opening his eyes, Ryuu focused the water flow from the others into the tunnel to his direct left. The water was getting louder, and picking up just a bit of speed at the sudden quantity. When the girl from earlier released another bothersome statement that was brushed off by the ignorant leader, Ryuu began to move towards them—using his hearing to follow the sound of their voices and pinpoint their exact location.

"It's gotten a bit faster…_faster_, didn't they say something about that too?"

"Won't you just _shut up_, I'm trying to level-up here!"

"I think we should leave. There's something off about this, and I can't remember why."

"You are so _annoying_. Why the hell did I get stuck with _you_ of all people?"

"Faster…_faster…speed…acceleration…_"

Ryuu smirked. It seemed the girl was on her way to figuring it out—not that it would help her at this point in time. He could see the light emerging from their location from where he stood and walked from, their voices were clearer now too, the echo of the sewage system barely affecting it.

Approaching steadily and silently made him unnoticeable, and when he leaned his back on the wall just beside the open area they had claimed, he tried to listen for other noises to get an idea of the numbers he would have to face. Judging from earlier, though, it would seem there were only two of them left to man this base.

This made Ryuu curious. Did they _expect_ him to attack? Were they _planning_ something? Lately, there were a lot of small missions like this. It made him wonder if there was some sort of situation that he wasn't being informed about—or _worse_.

"What are you mumbling to yourself _now_?!"

"Accel—Accel—Accel—"

"What the hell are you _saying_?"

Risking himself just to find out the plan of his foe wasn't something Accelerator normally did. He had half-a-mind to leave the location and head back to tell Kikyou that the operation was a bust. There didn't seem to be anything going on, and the report had stated that they were supposed to be exporting something out of Academy City today.

From what he could tell, there was no package or cargo being talked about by the two people. The only thing that made him decide to take this course of action was the possibility that it had already been shipped—and the curiosity to know if this was bait for him. If this was a hoax to get him to reveal himself.

Pushing off the wall, he walked forward and stood in the direction of the light. The girl, that he assumed had been speaking earlier, widened her eyes at the sight of him. The man who sat lazily on a rundown couch in front of her continued to ask useless questions and throw petty insults in her direction. Ryuu offered the girl a small smirk.

"Accelerator."

* * *

Both of them didn't put much up of a fight. The guy gave up the moment the bullet he shot was reflected back at him, while the girl hadn't even moved an inch upon identifying him. Within a matter of two minutes, Accelerator had them tied by the wrist and ankles. Now if only they were that willing to submit and give up information. The girl refused to look at him, while the man glared at him. They had no intention of fighting him, but also had no interest to sing.

"You don't have to tell me anything." He said, voice stoic and yet carrying his promise of pain with every syllable. "It's not like it would matter to me. I'd find out sooner or later, information about this sort of thing isn't kept to jus few people. Unknown people, but not _disposable_."

The girl was shaking at this point, while the alpha male looked ready to piss himself. _Close_, he was so close to breaking them and having him perform for him like marionette puppets.

It made him smirk to see the scurrying sewer rat enter the lit area of the hideout.

"That's right, your just fucking trash. You're not _worth_ keeping around." Ryuu voiced, walking backwards slightly to pick up the dirty animal. His hands would need to be sanitized to not end after this, but there was no other option at the moment. "Let me show you what I do to _trash_ like you when they become useless."

Taking out a knife from his pocket, Accelerator put the blade between his teeth to pull it out. After a cutting an open wound big enough accommodate his fingers on the animal's stomach, he dropped it onto the floor and turned his crimson eyes back to the two tied-up enemies.

"Want me to explain how it works? I'll keep it easy for the sake of you two stupid simpletons." The rat squeaked and moved non-stop in his hand. The little bugger even tried to bite him.

"Do you know what a vector is? In your minds, the closest thing to it is probably direction." Ryuu continued, finally sticking his index finger into the incision.

"You know I'm the Accelerator, so you also know that I have the capability of controlling said direction." The rat's squeaking got louder, but his crimson eyes remained focused on his prey. Both looked equally terrified, unsure of what it was he was actually planning to do. Ryuu's smirk got wider.

"For blood flow, you describe its movement in velocity vectors, I guess. Forward, backward, do you follow?" They didn't respond, and the rat's squeaking subdued when Accelerator pulled out his finger to approach the two.

"I asked you a question, morons, I said: _Do you understand?_" The girl flinched when he touched his bloodied finger and drew a line across her cheek, and the guy in front of him nodded, eyes still staring at the, now, panicking animal.

"Good." Ryuu pulled his finger away from the girl and returned it into the cut. The rat's squeals were louder than ever, its movements frantic as it tried its best to land a bite on his pale fingers.

"What do you think happens when something that goes forward suddenly goes backward? What do you think happens when instead of blood flowing to the brain, it returns to the _continuously pumping_ heart? Do you two retards know _that_?"

His eyes twinkled with maniacal mirth when the rat gave its final scream. Blood was all over the two. On their faces, on their clothing, but there was none on Accelerator, not even on the hand he had used to hold the dirty animal. "_Boom._"

Tears ran down the girl's cheeks, while any sanity left to the man seemed to have gone from him—replaced with nothing but fear, submission, and nothingness. It was a look that Ryuu had seen on his victims many times, a look that, in all honestly, he couldn't stand. This point was always a last resort, and the main reason why he had never allowed Mikoto to tag along with him on this _study groups_. She didn't need to know what a _monster_ he truly was.

Dropping the bloody rat carcass onto the ground in front of their feet, his crimson eyes met their traumatized ones.

"So, _trash_, who's going _next_?"

An ear-piercing scream greeted his question, the girl's orbs remaining on the dead animal as she tried her hardest to scoot back from it—as far away as her tied and subdued state allowed her. She fell back, turned around, and tried using her chin to move her body forward, as if it would actually lead her to the salvation she wanted. Her screams got louder, to a pitch that Ryuu found irritating. He slapped her because of it—it gave the desired effect and shut her up.

"I'll take that as you volunteering."

Slowly walking back to retrieve the knife that had clattered to the ground, Ryuu was beginning to have a hard time holding back the vomit that threatened to escape from his stomach. It was hard enough to keep the actual choking and heaving motion out of his muscles response to it. Bending down, proved slightly difficult with his shaking hands, but he had gotten to this point already. There was no turning back. He should be used to this sort of thing anyway.

Better he suffered through this than have _Mikoto_ do it.

His white hair was a worse mess already. With the strands already beginning to block his vision and cover the side of his face. Ryuu's red eyes were hard to ignore though, especially to the girl who looked on in horror of his approach. Another loud shriek greeted his return to her side, and another hard slap was the response given.

Accelerator cut a deep enough wound on the girl's shoulder, her sobs and pleas reaching his ears. She wriggled, doing her best to continue her poor-attempt at escaping, but Ryuu held down her shoulder with one hand, while, slowly, his other hand made its way towards the fresh wound. Just as his finger brushed her skin, she yelled.

"I'll talk, I'll talk, just, _please_, don't kill me! _Please_!"

His whole body felt like giving in and dropping him to the ground just then. _Thank god_, she had taken the bait.

To her it probably seemed like she had peeked his interest. He leant back, resting his body behind his shins, looking at her with disinterest, impatience, and curiosity. There was a glint in Accelerator's eyes as well—a promise that told her pain awaited her if she _didn't_ make the information worth sparing her. She shook with fear, but gulped, preparing to speak.

"There aren't a lot of details, bu—but we were told to watch this place while they _co—completed_ something out in the city streets." Ryuu played with the knife in front of her. Flipping the blade out and in to give her the appearance of boredom. Again, she gulped, continuing with a steadier voice.

"They said that _the leader needed someone out of the way_, before telling us about _you_." That _did_ catch his attention.

"What were you told about me?"

"To avoid you at all cost." Was her quick response. "To run and abandon the base if we sensed your arrival. A brief explanation of you powers, and a warning to only face you if we were prepared to die. We were also told not to kill you. _The leader would deal with you himself_." Ryuu scowled. So he was a target now, huh?

"And this _something_ that was to be completed? What was it?"

"I—I don't know!"

He approached, grin feral as he outstretched a finger to her wound. "Liar."

"No, no, I _swear_ I don't know! I don't _know_!"

"Oh? How can you _not_? You're part of _SCHOOL_ aren't you?"

"No! No! I told you everything! Please, _please_!"

There was something in her eyes that made him refuse to believe her. She was desperate, that much was true, but her pupils kept flicking to the still silent guy behind them. The orbs looked pleadingly, as if hoping that the man would say something to save her. "Commander! Please! Tell him!" She shrieked when his fingers began parting the skin of her shoulder to access the veins. "Commander! Commander!"

Ryuu wasn't sure how to proceed. Would he talk to save her? He didn't seem interested. Should he switch tactics and pretend that he would keep her alive and kill the other first if she didn't talk? Ryuu pretended to struggle with the wound while thinking of what to do. The girl continued to shout and beg, while the man continued to say nothing. Ryuu was just about to dig his finger in deeper, to see how the 'commander' would react, when he heard it.

Deep chuckles. The lunacy infested laughter emerging from the man.

"It doesn't matter now," He said, followed by that same clod laughter that affected Accelerator in the wrong way. "The leader has probably finished. Our mission is complete. It didn't matter if you killed us or not, we just needed to keep you _here_ and away from up _there_." The laughter continued, while his eyes that were practically _dead_ a while ago shined with insanity. The type of irises that psychopathic serial killers possessed. Ryuu didn't pay attention to that though.

_Keep you here… _

_Away from up there_….

Looking at the girl on the ground, she looked just as clueless as he felt. Almost frozen in disbelief.

"You should be receiving the call the abort this mission any time now. Just like all the _other times_ that you had to abort your missions." The man continued, chuckling between his words as he continued.

"Didn't you find it odd, Mister Accelerator, why they made you go after such easy prey? Why they made _you_ their dirty worker instead of any of the other level fives? I'm sure you do. _You know_. You're just too _stupid_ to realize it." A bout of laughter came after.

"What are you talking about?!" Came Ryuu's angered reply, standing up and grabbing the older male by his collar. "What is your leader planning?! What do you mean by all of this?!"

His phone rang then, making the insane man cackle louder.

"See?! _See?!_ What did I tell you?!"

Throwing the, still, laughing man to the ground, Accelerator took out his phone and answered the call. Putting the mobile to his ears, he waited. He refused to speak first, wanting to know who was calling him and hoping that this man's words spoke only of how broken he had been—of how insane he was. All he heard was breathing for a couple of seconds. Hard breathing that seemed familiar for some reason.

"_Ryuu_…" His eyes widened. It was Mikoto's voice.

"_Ryuu…I…I need your help."_ She continued, voice detached and—was that _fear_ he heard?

Taking the phone away from his ears, Ryuu quickly kicked the lunatic in the side. "Did your leader do something to the Railgun?! Was this part of his stupid plan to take me down?! Answer me!"

When the man didn't respond and merely continued on with his cackling and incoherent mumbling, he approached the bound girl he had left to lay on the ground. He saw that her eyes were lost in space. She was far from understanding what the current situation was, so far away that he doubted she would even hear his voice—no matter how much he threatened her. As if she was finally coming to terms that she had just been a human sacrifice from the beginning of all this.

"_Ryuu…"_ He heard Mikoto's voice again, bring the cell back to his ear and walking away from the two bodies. That was another thing that he wasn't sure she was consciously doing. Mikoto only ever called him _Ryuu_ when she was desperate.

Accelerator broke off into a run, returning to the treatment pipe in top speed.

"Mikoto! Where are you?! I'm on my way!"

"_Ryuu…I just found a dead body."_

* * *

**Okay, I gave in and decided to ignore reality's call.  
It's basically because I'm excited to write the chapter AFTER this one.**

**First off! I KNOW, okay, this is a pretty boring chapter. Well, for me it wouldn't be cause I tend to like my fair share of gore and violence, but to shippers the lack of romance and appearance of the love interest just will not do. This did need to happen though, because if you've noticed, I hinted about a lot of things in this chapter. If you also notice, the writing is slightly bipolar. Like there are two emotions being conveyed in the same time. If this causes confusion, this is just to express the emotional turmoil that Accel goes through. DON'T WORRY THOUGH. We'll get to why he's like that at some point in the story. Haha.**

**Continuing on! If there is any mistake in my understanding of VECTORS, kindly tell me. As a seventeen-year-old girl, I don't have a complete understanding of physics. I know enough to differentiate Vector Quantities and Scaler Quantities, and to know what a VECTOR is for the most part (for example the heat, I didn't place that he heated the asphalt to melt because that would SCALAR, so instead he manipulated the direction of heat around him thus making it VECTOR), but if there's something wrong, do point it out to me.**

**AS ALWAYS. THANKS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FAVORITED, REVIEWED, and FOLLOWED.  
**

**I own what I own, nothing more and nothing less.  
Apologies in advance for any grammatical errors. Point them out and I'll edit when I can.**


	5. Chapter 04 - Auditus

**CHAPTER FOUR  
"A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN"**

* * *

Sitting at the familiar booth in Joseph's didn't help calm Mikoto's troubling train of thought. Kazari and Ruiko happily told a couple of stories (with Ruiko off-handedly commenting about current urban legends running rampant around Academy city) and Kuroko shared a few of her own. Mikoto felt a bit bad for not listening to their seemingly interesting tales, but it wasn't like this was the first time that she just couldn't find herself focusing on her friends. Kuroko would most likely cover for her anyway, like all the others times—despite begrudgingly doing so.

_"And I _will_ come back."_ Were the last words he had uttered to her in person, and she felt a bit disgusted with herself for freezing up and realizing just how stupid she had been at that moment. Accelerator had probably taken that as shock, but it was far from the truth. Despite how hard he tried to sound stoic and uncaring, she could always _tell_ when something was bothering him—when something had upset him.

Those words, despite being uttered the way that they were, fell heavily on the Railgun's shoulders. The moment it had reached her ears, she knew that she had committed a mistake. He had assured her the next morning that they would _talk_, but Mikoto was just as glad as he was to know that it wouldn't be happening till Sunday. Even she wasn't sure what she wanted to say. So much for that tablespoon sized heart that Ryuu had mockingly bestowed upon her.

"Hey, Shirai-san, what's wrong with Misaka-san?" She heard Ruiko inquire.

"Nothing. She's just thinking too much about trash." That earned the teleport a small shock that made her yelp, with Kazari immediately turning her curious gaze to the electromaster. Ruiko looked at Mikoto too, while Kuroko nursed her slightly fried arm—taking her iced drink from the table and applying it on the singed patch of skin.

"Onee-sama should just think of me!" The teleport exclaimed, glaring slightly at her roommate.

"Why?" It was Kazari who asked this time. "Who is Misaka-san thinking about in the first place?"

"No one!" Mikoto hurriedly replied. "It's no one! Just—just leave it alone."

"Why not tell them? It's not like the albino freak would mind."

That earned Shirai Kuroko _another_ singed patch of skin. So much for the teleport _covering_ for her.

Before Mikoto could get another word out, Kazari already had her gadgets out with Ruiko looking over her shoulders to get a better view of what she was doing. Kuroko continued to nurse her wounds, but quickly neglected the pain to glare at her beloved Onee-sama. Mikoto felt like groaning. She appreciated how much her friends cared, _really_, but she didn't need them butting in when it came to things that even _she_ didn't understand just yet.

"What are you looking for Uiharu?" Asked Ruiko.

"Birth records regarding albinos. It shouldn't be hard to narrow down who Misaka-san knows from there."

"Or you could just _ask her_!" Mikoto butted in.

Both girls looked up at her, eyes filled with disbelief. "As if you would tell!" They shot accusingly.

"What does it matter if they know, Onee-sama?!" Came Kuroko's bitter cry. "Wasn't it enough that you kept his identity a secret from _me_ for so long?! I don't even understand how you can be friends with him! He only wants you for your body! He isn't like me, who loves Onee-sama with all my heart and soul!"

She tried to pounce, but a more painful volt of electricity collided with her body. Mikoto, Ruiko, and Kazari weren't even paying that much attention to her. For the auburn haired girl, Kuroko's words had become easy to ignore. There was even a pattern she had gotten accustomed to. Wait for her to finish talking, take into regard how lecherous she sounded while speaking, and adjust strength of lightning to a suitable punishment level.

"Uiharu-san, Saten-san, it really isn't something to be worried about. Kuroko's just—"

"It's done! Look at that, Saten-san, there aren't a lot!"

"Wah! How did you even narrow that down? Who do you think's the one causing Misaka-san's emotional turmoil?"

"It's not an emotional turmoil!" Mikoto shouted, only to be ignored by the two girls.

Leaning back on the comfortable seat, the Railgun succumbed to her fate and waited for the girls to put one and two together. So much for thinking in peace and figuring things out. Now, her friends would be nosy and try to offer their _help_, despite how much Mikoto felt like she needed to face this alone. It didn't help that they'd probably want to meet Ryuu now either. The sixteen-year-old was not going to be pleased with that development. He could barely stand Kuroko!

Mikoto could see it now. She'd have to tell him about how two more of her friends wanted to meet him, and then he would look at her with those empty red eyes and ask why. Then she would have to come up with some explanation—that wouldn't involve getting Kuroko into mortal danger, even if all of this was her fault—and hope that he was in a good enough mood to agree without a fuss. Then again, when did that ever happen? Ryuu _always_ put up a fuss.

The Railgun cringed just imagining the string of curses that would surely escape his mouth, followed by the sermon about how Mikoto was beginning to get comfortable and whatever he could come up with on the spot. And after she had profoundly apologized to him, only then would he actually consider the idea. He'd say no to her face, show up the next day at the meeting spot, and end up making everyone either dislike him or outright hate him. He wasn't a people person—that was probably the only thing obvious about the human-mystery that was the Accelerator.

Taking her away from her zoned out trance was the sudden uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

Turning towards the two girls who had been, only moments ago, looking up the mysterious _albino freak_ that Kuroko had talked about. Their eyes were trained on her, with Kazari's shining with curiosity and Ruiko's with mischief. The smirk offered by the longer haired girl did nothing to alleviate Mikoto's sudden wariness of the situation.

"As expected of you Misaka-san! You're boyfriend is just as scary as you are!"

Ruiko's words had a sudden effect on everyone around the table. Kazari's sudden call of "Saten-san!" being the first reaction to be given. Following was Kuroko's sudden revival, eyes deadest on trying to kill Ruiko with the imaginary daggers she was sending with her orbs. The girl in question didn't seem to mind though, instead keeping her eyes focused on the subject of the conversation. Her mischievous smile widened upon getting Mikoto's reaction.

She hated herself for showing it too, but it wasn't like she could control it! Her cheeks had been tainted fire-truck red, and her jaw had decided to slump down against her wishes. Her fingers began to ball into fists, as nonsense sputtering escaped her still gaping mouth. Was her body shaking? Or was that just her imagination?

"How dare you call that _no good effeminate albino_ Onee-sama's boyfriend!" Kuroko shouted, standing and slamming her fists, hard, down onto the table. The plates and cups shook due to the force. "That—that _arrogant show-off_ doesn't have the right even be _near_ my Onee-sama! And he especially doesn't deserve to have the title of the person Onee-sama loves most!"

"Effeminate—wait, hey! Kuroko stop—"

"He doesn't have the right to kiss her, to touch her, and to even hold her hand!" Ruiko and Kazari were beginning to sweat. Kuroko was fired up, and that never ended well. "Besides! If she wanted a slender and petite body, why would she turn to that _thing_ when she has me right beside her?! Onee-sama and I will not be broken apart by some _idiot_ who's only privilege was getting to know Onee-sama before me!"

"Oi! Kuroko keep it down—!"

"In fact, we'll prove it to you right now, right Onee-sama? We'll show Uiharu and Saten-san that our love cannot be taken for something so petty that you would choose _him_ before me? Onee-sama, please, do with me as you wi—AHH!"

She didn't care if other people turned around. Mikoto didn't even wonder about why Ruiko and Kazari were prepared with sunglasses already over their eyes. The loud blast of electricity that she had sent Kuroko was without mercy. The thirteen-year-old was convulsing, rather heavily at that, on the restaurant floor. Her pupils and rolled to the back of her head, and her body seemed burned to the color of charcoal. Ruiko and Kazari both whispered something about a _new record_.

"I _said_ SHUT UP KUROKO!" The Railgun shouted.

"O—Onee-sama…!"

"Oh, I think she passed out." Ruiko commented, moving closer to the edge of her seat to bend down and poke Kuroko's body. "Is she dead—oh, wait, there's a heartbeat, we're good." Kazari seemed displeased with her friend's words, sighing slightly before standing up to retrieve her Judgment partner's body. Politely asking Ruiko to move, she laid the teleport's body on the long seat, with shorthaired girl taking her place beside Mikoto.

"But really, I'm not surprised at all! It's so like you to be the best, so your boyfriend should be that way too!"

"He—Katsuo—_Accelerator_ isn't my boyfriend!" Mikoto answered immediately.

"Oh? But Shirai-san said that he's known you longer than she has, and I'm assuming you're pretty close since you just called him _Katsuo_ right now." The electromaster gulped. She had nothing to say to that. "Plus, Shirai-san implied that you were thinking about him too, and by the way you _reacted_ I'm betting she's right. How is he _not_ your boyfriend?"

"Saten-san, maybe he's just a good friend of Misaka-san's."

"Yeah! What Uiharu-san said!" The Railgun said quickly, jumping onto Kazari's explanation without a second thought.

"I guess…but, then, why didn't Misaka-san introduce him to us before? We're _all_ her friends, right? Is this supposed to be some sort of big Academy City secret? Did the government or science facility set you up or something? To breed the first level six esper? Or are you just _worried_ that they'll get that idea if they find out you're together? Did you hear about that level six rumor going around too?"

Mikoto's ears barely made it past _breed_.

Forget fire-truck red, Mikoto's face was full blown _scarlet_.

"That's—that's not true! Katsuo—no, _Accelerator_ is just a friend, Saten-san! It's—It's nothing like what your thinking at all!" Mikoto managed to say. "Where do you even come up with such preposterous ideas?! _Why_ would you even _get_ that idea?! Even if Academy City were that harsh, I'm _fourteen_! That's far from bree—_breeding_ age!"

"It's not really that far-fetched. You don't hear a lot of rumors in Tokiwadai don't you?"

"Saten-san, I think that if _that_ were true, Misaka-san would be the first to know!"

That peaked the Railgun's curiosity. "What are you two talking about?"

"It's nothing—!"

"Remember that story I told you about, the one about the clones?" Mikoto nodded and ignored Kazari's protest. Intent to stay focused on Ruiko who seemed determined to tell her what it was that bothered her. "Well, I heard a couple of people say that it's related to some project about the first level six esper. They're even saying that the entire point isn't even to master _cloning_, it's just to get an esper to sixth ability level."

"But that's impossible! There _is_ no level six!"

"That's why it's just a rumour Misaka-san." Kazari spoke out. "There's no proof behind it, just a lot of gossip."

"Yeah, but where does a rumour like that even start?"

"Who knows?" Ruiko said this time. "Maybe it _isn't_ a rumour to begin with."

_Study group, _Ryuu's words suddenly rang in her mind. Did his sudden mission have something to do with the rumour Ruiko was talking about? Was there some remote possibility that Ryuu was off doing who-knows-what to get to the bottom of this? Or were they _luring _him into experimentation without his knowledge? Mikoto felt like slapping herself. She shouldn't have allowed him to walk out of that restaurant. She should have pushed to talk to him!

She stood from her chair and crossed over Kazari to make it to the aisle. Quickly bidding her friends a rushed farewell, Mikoto dashed out of Joseph's without missing a beat. She ignored Ruiko and Kazari's calls of worry and curiosity, instead taking out her phone to dial an all too familiar number.

After a couple of seconds, someone had finally picked up. "Hello? Yoshikawa-san? This is Mikoto."

* * *

"What did you want to talk about, Mikoto-chan?" Kikyou asked, setting a glass of iced water in front of the fourteen-year-old. She had a warm smile plastered on her face, and it seemed to calm Mikoto down a bit. Kikyou didn't seem to be that worried about Ryuu—that mean that she didn't have much to worry about, right? Now, she felt slightly embarrassed for barging in without properly talking to the researcher over the phone.

"I guess, now that I think about it, I came here for nothing." The middle-schooler answered sheepishly, earning a chuckle from the adult. That knowing glint in Kikyou's eyes made Mikoto blush. "It wasn't like that!" She denied.

"There's nothing wrong with worrying about him, Mikoto-chan." The researcher answered, taking a sip from her cup of—was it tea or coffee? She wasn't quite sure. "It's because of you that I can relax a bit actually. You worry enough for the both of us combined, and that could still be an understatement. I'm sure your feelings are reaching Ryuu, wherever he is."

"Fee—feelings?! No, it's really nothing like that!"

"Isn't it? I've known you for seven years now, Mikoto-chan. I think I can figure out when you're worried about him, and I can also tell when you're more worried than normal." Kikyou offered her another warm smile before setting the mug back down on the coffee table. "So, what's got you all jumpy? Did you hear anything? It sounded urgent over the phone."

"It's nothing, really, I was just getting ahead of myself." Mikoto softly spoke, turning away from the woman's inquiring gaze. She focused on a familiar black patch of wallpaper on the living room wall. _How long had it been there? Why didn't they ever replace that piece of wallpaper? What was it still doing there after all these years?_ The Railgun asked herself these questions as she waited for that intense feeling of being watched to go away. Kikyou wouldn't be relenting anytime soon.

_What had even caused it?_ Mikoto continued to wonder, resting her chin on the palm of her hand as she stubbornly tried to distract herself from the researcher's patient staring. _Was it her? Was it Katsuo? Were they both at fault?_

Staring at it made the feint sound of loud yelling and cheering echo in the electromaster's mind. She could recall a warm feeling of triumph settling in her chest, her aching bones barely spoiling her enthusiasm. Laughter rang in her ears, with words of congratulations bounding off of the walls from the woman she was currently trying to avoid conversation with at all cost. There was a blurry image of a smile too, on a face that was so familiar. A small one—the first one she remembered ever seeing on his face. Pride glowed in his crimson eyes too, but Mikoto assumed her imagination was just exaggerating.

_That's right._ Mikoto found herself smiling too, that familiar warm feeling spreading across her chest just as it had that life-changing day. _That was the day she made level four. That was the first time Katsuo said he was proud of her—called her his friend and offered her a smile._ It was probably one of her most prized memories.

"Why did you never fix that up?" She suddenly asked, turning to Kikyou and observing as the researcher twisted her head slightly before offering her a nostalgic smile. "It's really not ideal to have a living room with a burned piece of wall."

"It's not ideal, but I like seeing it there." The woman answered. "It reminds me that Ryuu is never alone."

"But isn't he alone right now?" Mikoto inquired.

"Physically, sure." Kikyou responded, scooting closer to the fourteen-year-old as she extended a well manicured finger and poked the Railgun on her chest. Mikoto blushed at the sudden contact, but kept her hazel orbs on the researcher's dark ones. "But I was talking about how he wasn't alone inside. It reminds that Ryuu, the _Accelerator_, isn't hollow."

"What do you mean?"

Kikyou laughed, moving back to her original spot, and shook her head. Mikoto swore she heard an exasperated sigh escape from the woman's lips before she broke out into that warm smile again. "Maybe you'll understand it when you get a bit older. I'm not even sure Ryuu understands himself. In fact, you probably have better luck at getting it."

That was when her eyes suddenly turned a bit cold. "So, don't go hurting that boy okay, Mikoto-chan?"

The tone of voice and the shiver that went up her spine made her nod automatically.

"That's relieving to hear. Ryuu will be in good hands."

"Uhm—right…" Mikoto spoke out, suddenly needing to take a sip from the glass that had been placed in front of her. Taking in a few gulps, she released her own sigh and decided to voice out her curiosities.

It was a valid question right? After all, if that level six thing was true—then didn't it involve all the other level fives instead of just Accelerator? And, if ever she was right, wouldn't informing Kikyou—her friend's guardian—be a good thing?

Sealing her resolve, the Railgun began to speak.

"These _study groups_ that Katsuo go on, what are they for, really?" Her voice was serious and steady as she continued. "I know they're missions that Academy City has him do, but what's the purpose? Who is he hunting? Are these just random jobs that they decide to give him? Or are these jobs that only _he_ can do? Are they testing him or something? His loyalty?"

"Mikoto-chan, remember that I can't—"

"Divulge information even if you knew anything, but you said so yourself, you don't want him hurt. You let him go on these missions though. Does that mean their safe? Or does it mean that he doesn't have a choice? Please, Yoshikawa-san, I just need a settle a couple of things in my mind. Especially with all the rumors that Saten-san are telling me about!"

Kikyou looked unsure of how to respond, and that didn't comfort Mikoto one bit. Was she going to hide what she _did_ know? Would she be willing to tell her? Could she find a way to get Kikyou to talk without getting her into trouble? She wanted to shock something. Ryuu had always been the one excellent at finding loopholes, not her!

"What have you been hearing?"

"Hearing? What do you mean?"

"These rumours, what are they saying?"

There was something off about the way Kikyou asked the question, but Mikoto answered her. She told the woman of the urban legends she'd heard from Ruiko, and had even shared the problem that had been bugging her the last time she had spoken with Accelerator. The cloning, the level six esper project, the theoretical relationship between the two as well. By the time she had released everything, Kikyou's unsettling demeanor had only gotten worse.

Her eyes were unfocused—hazy being the only word Mikoto could use to describe them. She was mumbling something that she couldn't comprehend, and her fingers were tense as they slowly began to bunch together and form a fist. Kikyou's shoulders shook, while her hair fell over her face as she bowed slightly to further succumb into her train of thought. Before Mikoto could inquire about her condition or epiphany, the researcher had snapped out of her stupor.

"You have to get home Mikoto-chan."

"Huh?! Why? Do you know something? Yoshikawa-san, I—"

The adult wasn't having any of it. She stood, taking Mikoto by the upper arm to stand her up as well. The electromaster winced in pain and considered shocking the researcher back to normal. There was something about Kikyou that stopped her though. A radiating aura that rested on the borderline of disbelief and horror.

"I'll call you the first thing Ryuu gets back. I'll talk to you then. For now, lay low."

Mikoto extended her arms when they reached the door, not allowing Kikyou to just push her out. Her fingers clutched hardly on the doorframe, with the fourteen-year-old trying her hardest to look back. "What's going on? Is Ryuu in trouble? Could you at least give me some sort of _clue_?!"

"I'm not sure myself, but for now, just don't do anything out of the ordinary."

The Railgun sighed. "How bad is it?" She settled on asking.

"I'm not sure of that either."

The middle-schooler, unable to maintain the grip needed to hold on to the door, let go. She allowed Kikyou to push her out, closing the door with an audible click of the lock soon after. Mikoto had hoped for answers, but, now, she was leaving with more questions. Her mind was a jumbled mess filled with puzzle pieces she couldn't seem to connect with each other! Just how did Kikyou expect her to _lay low_?

* * *

She hadn't realized just how long she had stayed over at Kikyou and Ryuu's apartment. By the time she had looked up at the sky after being ordered to go home, the sun had already set. The stars were beginning to twinkle on the lavender sky, pinks and oranges fading on the horizon to signify the end of dusk and the beginning of night.

Walking down the fairly empty straight, Mikoto thought back to the researcher's words. She must have known _something_ if she reacted that strongly, right? Or at least had some sort of guess—maybe even an understanding that connected to Accelerator and the rumours. What worried her the most was the reality of the situation, too. Did Kikyou's reaction mean that the rumours, to some degree, held truth in them? What part though? The cloning or the level up?

Mikoto felt the beginning of a massive headache. She hated being out of the loop! Did Ryuu know anything about this?

Continuing along the path in front of her, the Railgun tried to come up with ideas in her mind.

She thought of neglecting Kikyou's specific orders to remain inconspicuous—to hack into the Academy City database and gain access to the filed protected heavily by all the latest software. Experiments, Accelerator's missions, information on the seven level fives of Academy City—things that she didn't dare try to know more about despite being curious because of the punishment it entailed. Maybe, if she played her card rides, Kazari could even lend her a hand and help her not get caught.

The final thought was quickly dismissed. There was no way she would allow her friends to get involved in this.

Looking at the nearby phone booth, Mikoto contemplated risking it. The surveillance cameras would surely catch her, but she could just always tamper with it before even doing anything. Looking around, there were a limited amount of people—and they weren't really the type to get involved with another person's business. The situation was basically set, all Mikoto had to do was walk in the booth and do what she had to do.

_Don't do anything out of the ordinary_, Kikyou's words rang in her head. _I'll call you the first thing Ryuu gets back._

Throwing caution into the wind, the Railgun began to make her towards the booth.

Mentally, she apologized to the researcher and to her friends (for yet again ignoring their personal opinions about helping out) for doing this. Mikoto just couldn't find it in herself to wait, especially seeing as she didn't _know_ what waiting could cost. What if she got the call from Kikyou and found out they had been too late to do something about, well, _whatever_ was going on? That wouldn't do!

Mikoto was just a few steps away from the vertical cubicle when something made her stop.

She found herself frozen in front of a dark alley—one that emitted a certain sort of stench that, despite not being truly sensed by her nose, made Mikoto shiver. Something else was radiating from it too, something the Railgun couldn't explain or understand. She reacted to it though, the gut-retching feeling that usually came as a warning signal made that obvious.

Slowly looking at the nearby phone booth made Misaka Mikoto groan.

She would just check it out. She would just see if anything was wrong to soothe her nerves. Quickly enough, she would be back and going through those hidden files faster than a cheetah running to catch its prey.

* * *

**Hello again! It's been, what, a day? These updates are coming along faster than expected.  
Let's hope I can continue to avoid my social life. I've been in the writing mood lately!  
**

**I would also like to dedicate this chapter to my best friend, Tsurara-chan, who introduced me to Toaru Majutsu no Index.  
I don't know if you'll read this (cause thou art a Touma x Mikoto shipper), but big thanks to you!**

**So, before going on about something else, I would like to thank LevelSeven-7 for that correction regarding heat! I shall be more careful next time, and will do a bit more studying. Vectors and Scalar Quantities confuse me more than Trigonometry and Geometry (not fair, I know, seeing as Trigonometry is fairly easy). I appreciate you giving your time to point that out to me. *Bows***

**Next, I would also like to thank the Guest reviewed who commented on the previous chapter for taking the time to leave such a long and heart-warming review. Actually, I want to thank all of you for leaving such heart-warming reviews. You make me want to do better! I'll try my best to be consistent about these updates, so please continue to support me if you wish. Is it too early to say 'I Love You'? Would that chase you away?**

**Okay, my randomness aside, there you go for the fourth chapter.  
The only thing I really wanted to clarify was the the top part of the story where, if you'd noticed, I placed "A Certain Scientific Railgun" rather than "A Certain Scientific Accelerator" on this chapter. This is just actually to point out who is narrating. This chapter also coincides with the previous one, so these events happened BEFORE Accel got the phone call.**

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWED AND FAVOURITED SO FAR!**

**I own what I own, nothing more and nothing less.  
Apologis in advance to any grammatical errors you will find. Point them out and I'll edit when I can.**


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